Approximately 40 faculty, staff and students stood underneath umbrellas at the flagpole in front of the AdministrationBuilding Tuesday afternoon to honor military veterans at a Veterans Day Tribute.Students who were walking by, stopped long enough to lower their heads, and some stayed for the ceremony.

Director of Special Services and chair of the Campus Veterans Education Team, Kim Thompson gave a warm welcome, thanking all for coming out in the rain to support veterans.She spoke briefly about the significance of the support of Americans.

The 10-minute event, organized by the college’s new SCC Veteran Student Organization, was not only a celebration of U.S. veterans, but of two new flags donated to the college by the Shoreline American Legion, Starr Sutherland Junior Post #227.Commander Thomas Drapac gave the college a new PIO/MIA flag that will fly every day with the new American flag the legion gave the college.The new American flag replaces the former flag that was not the correct size for the large flagpole. The donations were a result of conversations at the roundtable held last March. Thompson graciously thanked Commander Drapac for the generous donations.

Following a moment of silence student and veteran, Robert Lemmons read the poem, “In Flanders Field,” and then the college’s Veteran Navigator, Jonathan Phillips and student Shane Freund lowered the college’s old flag and folded it military style before raising the two new flags. Music student Jessica Ekegren sang the National Anthem.

It was a nice way to honor our vets, standing side-by-side with colleagues and students.